Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 2 · Verse 9, 10, 11
1 JOHN 2.9, 10, 11.
He that ſaith that he is in light and hateth his brother is in darkneſſe untill this time.
He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occaſion of evill in him.
But he that hateth his brother is in darkneſſe, and walketh in darkneſſe, and knows not whither he goeth, becauſe that darkneſſe hath blinded his eyes.
THe cuſtom of this Apoſtle St. John, is, after he hath delivered any Doctrin to make ſome application of it, for the joy of Gods children, for the end of his writing to them was, that their joy might be full, cap. 1.4. and ſo he doth here, for having in the former verſe ſaid, that in the Children of God darkneſſe is paſſing, and true light now ſhining, here he gathers a ſign whereby he may know whether our darkneſſe be paſſing, and our light ſpringing, and that is from brotherly love, in this ninth verſe, and tenth, where you have a deſcription of him that hates his Brother, and of him that loves his Brother: the firſt he deſcribes by four things.
1 He is in darkneſſe; He that ſaith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is us darkneſſe.
2 He ever was in darkneſſe; he is in darkneſſe even untill now; that is, as yet he never was out of darkneſſe.
3 He walketh in darkneſſe, verſ. 11.
4 He knows not whither he goes; and that is amplified from the cauſe of it, becauſe that darkneſſe hath blinded his eyes.
Doct. He that hateth his brother, whether he profeſſe the light or no, he is in darkneſſe, and ever was in darkneſſe, and knows not where he is, nor whither he goes.
By Brother is here meant chiefly a Chriſtian Brother, as verſ. 7. it is chiefly meant of Spiritual brethren, but there is a truth in it, even towards naturall brethren; ſuch as are of the ſame Parents, as likewiſe thoſe of one Kindred, or of the ſame Country.
To hate here, is oppoſed to love, which ſtands in two things, deſire of communion, and communication of good to him whom we love; hatred therefore deſires neither of theſe, but conſiſts in ſtrangneſſe and enmity; in ſtrangeneſs, when they deſire not communion with them, and enmity, when they are not willing to communicate good to them; although for the moſt part it goes further, to doe ev…ll to one; yet, Levit. 19.17. Thou ſhalt not hate thy Brother; there hatred is not to communicate good to our brother, viz. wholſome reproof; now he that thus hates theſe brethren, or his brother, any Brother, though not all (for if a man ſhould hate all that were Spirituall brethren, it were manifeſt that he were in darkneſſe; as it were ſtrange for a man to hate all his naturall brethren) but if there be but one brother whom he hates, he is yet in darkneſſe, both of ignorance, and wickedneſſe.
2 Such a one was alwayes in darkneſſe, He is in darkneſſe even untill now.
3 He walks in darkneſſe, i. e. there is no action of his but is a work of darkneſs, a ſinfull action; he makes not one good prayer, or one good Sermon, &c.
4 He knows not whither he goes, foreign, where he is, nor whither he goes, i. e. he knows not what eſtate he is in before God, nor whither he goes, whether to Heaven or Hell, nor what his end will be, whethet comfort or wo; now for the proof of the poynt you may ſee it, 1 Joh. 4.7, 8.
Reaſ. 1. Becauſe God is love, 1 Joh. 4.16. and therefore he that is not in love is not in God; God is not only loving, but love it ſelfe, Pſalm 145.9. God communicates good to every creature according to his condition.
Reaſ. 2. From the diſtempet which hatred puts both upon our judgments, and affections in every action, verſ. 11. becauſe darkneſſe hath blinded his eyes; it blinds us that we cannot ſee that good which is in our brother, wherefore we ſhould love him, and it puts falſe opinions and furmiſes upon every thing we ſee him doe.
3 Hatred makes every duty we performe to God abominable to him, and therefore ſuch a man walks in darkneſſe, Matthew 5.23, 24. James. 1.20. foreign non perficit, he cannot bring a good work to an end, Gen. 4.4. Cain, becauſe he hated his Brother, his Sacrifice would not burn, it would not enter into Gods acceptation.
Ʋſe 1. To refute an opinion of the Popiſh Doctors; they ſay, men may fall away from Grace, and they prove it by the example of Saul and Judas, who they ſay were in the eſtate of grace; this will be eaſily decided whether they ever were in the eſtate of grace yea or no? for Saul, did not he hate his brother, did not he hate David? if he did, then St. John gives here his judgement, he was ever in darkneſſe, and of Judas you may ſee Pſal. 109.5.8. which is applyed to Judas, Act. 1.20.
Ʋſe 2 From hence every one may take a ſcantling of his own Eſtate; whether doe we hate our Brother, any brother, whether ſpiritual or naturall, or any other man? then we are in darkneſſe.
Object. But may not a man hate thoſe that hate God, with a perfect hatred? Pſal. 139.22. David makes it a ſign of a Citizen in heaven, Pſal. 15.4.
Anſ. If a man hates God, and malign goodneſſe, we muſt conſider two things, 1 Whether he doth it of ignorance, or 2 Whether he doth it of malice; if he doth it of malice, we may, and ought to hate him, Mat. 15.12, 13.14. and of theſe did David ſpeak; but if they ſin of Ignorance, I muſt not hate them with a perfect hatred, but ſo far as not to affect fellowſhip, and communion with them, but yet to communicate good to them, that I may and muſt doe upon all occaſions; I muſt pray for them; and admoniſh them; Luke. 23.34. Chriſt prayed for thoſe that crucified him, ſo did Stephen, Act. 7.60. and it is thought by learned Divines, that prayer was a means of Souls converſion; and for admoniſhing ſuch an one, read 1 Theſ. 3.14, 15. but if a man ſin of malice, we are neither to pray for him, nor admoniſh him.
Ʋſe 3. This teacheth us, that as we would have a ſign of our good Eſtate in Chriſt, ſo to love every Brother, every Brother in Chriſt, every Brother in nature, or civill ſociety, Gal. 6.10.
Object. May not good men ſometimes be bitter againſt ſome Brother?
Anſ. It may be ſo, but firſt, they know them not to be Brethren.
2 They doe not hate them with the whole heart, but partly, as far as they are unregenerate, and they will repent of it when they know it; but howſoever, if we doe not hate any brother, hereby we ſhall certainly know that we are in a good Eſtate.
Ʋſe 4 This is a ground of comfort to Gods ſervants, God will not have one of them ill beloved, the World hates them, Joh. 15.18. and if God ſhould ſuffer his ſervants to hate them, who ſhould love them? nay, God would have every man love his Brethren, for as verſe 9. the Apoſtle ſpeaks of profeſſors, he that ſaith he is in the light, &c. ſo verſe 11. he reſtrains it not, but he that hateth his Brother is in darkneſſe, whoſoever he be, whether he profeſs the light or no? now therefore this ſhould be out comfort, and this ſhould make us carefull to walke ſo as to be beloved.
Doct. He that loves his Brother, walks conſtantly, and inoffenſively in the ſtate of Grace.
That they walke conſtantly, and perſevere, you may ſee, 1 Joh. 3.14. Joh. 13.35. Heb. 6.9, 10. that they walk inoffenſively appears, in that love covers a multitude of ſins, 1 Pet. 4.8.
Reaſ. 1 Is the contrary to the firſt reaſon of the former Doctrin, God is love, therefore ſuch as dwell in love, dwell in God, and God in them, 1 Joh. 4.16. now if God dwell in them, and they in God, they muſt needs walke on conſtantly, and inoffenſively.
Reaſ. 2 There is a power in love, to fit us to diſpence Gods ordinances willingly, and likewiſe willingly to have them diſpenced to us, which doth exceedingly help us to walk conſtantly, and inoffenſively, 1 Theſ. 3.12, 13. love is apt to interpret all things well, 1 Cor. 13.7. and for want of this it is, that men withdraw themſelves one from another, and ſo exort not one another, and therefore are they ſubject to fall away, Heb. 10.24, 25, 26. every good duty eſtabliſheth us in grace, now love is ſtrong in good duties, and therefore it is, that he that loves his Brother, walks conſtantly and inoffenſively, in the ſtate of Grace.
Reaſ. 3 Becauſe there is an holy light that ſhines about love, now in the light one may ſee, and avoyd all ſtumbling blocks.
Ʋſe 1. To remove a falſe ſlander caſt upon godly men, that they are the moſt bitter envious, and malicious men, the veryeſt cut-throats that are: you ſee that they that are in the light, are of another temper; ſuch envious and malicious men may ſay that they are in the light, but if they were they would love their Brethren; therefore theſe you ſpeak of, either are not ſo uncharitable as you ſay, or if they be, they are not as yet the children of light.
Ʋſe 2. This ſhews us a way to helpe forward the ſetledneſſe, and inoffenſiveneſſe of our Eſtate; if we be unſetled or offenſive, it is for want of love, Prov. 13.20. if we keep love and communion with Gods Children, we ſhall find Grace ſecretly increaſe to eſtabliſhment, if we ever were in the light, and now find our ſelves as it were in darkneſſe, we are at a loſſe, we know not where we are; let us conſider the firſt riſe of it, and we ſhall find it was want of love, Rom. 13.10.
Ʋſe 3. Of comfort to thoſe that love God and his Children, if we cannot diſcern any other Grace in our ſelves, yet if we know certainly there is never a brother but we love him with all our hearts, this is an evident ſign we are in the light, and that we ſhall walke conſtantly and inoffenſively in the ſtate of grace, we ſhall abide in the light.